Zave Smith jokes that one of the hardest parts of his volunteer work with Flashes of Hope is hauling his photography equipment in and out of the hospital. 

“Yeah, it’s a real pain,” he said with a laugh. Of course, there are other hard parts, too. Times when his work photographing children, who are sometimes critically ill, causes him to need a long moment afterwards, wishing he had chosen medicine as his profession. “I’ve had to sit down and gather myself on occasion, you know,” he said. But there is the part that is incredibly rewarding: creating something special for families who are in the midst of dealing with their child’s cancer treatment and recovery. 

Zave, a lifestyle and commercial photographer that works in Philadelphia and New York, began volunteering in 2006 for Flashes of Hope, a program of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). In those 18 years, Zave estimates he’s done nearly 50 photo shoots for Flashes of Hope. 

The program creates free uplifting portraits to honor the unique life and memories of every child fighting cancer. Volunteer photographers go to hospitals and camps all over the United States, creating portraits of those young fighters.  These black and white portraits are printed, framed, and given to their families for free. 

“It’s very rewarding. You are doing three things — you get to hang with kids, you get to create something beautiful, and you get to create something special for the families. It’s wonderful. It is a great thing to do,” said Zave. Every shoot is different — kids are sometimes giggly and imaginative or maybe a little shy and quiet. 

In August, Zave joined three other Philadelphia area Flashes of Hope photographers, Gary Nevitt, Suzanne Tenuto and Danielle Rigby, for a special summer shoot at Sunrise Day Camp. The camp is specifically designed for kids impacted by cancer and their siblings, providing fun, hope, and time for kids to do what they do best: play, imagine, and just be kids. It’s a great match for what Flashes of Hope photographers do, which is capture childhood moments for families. 

 “We photograph our kids to stop time,” Zave said.

The foursome photographed 68 kids in one day — adding to the 1,150 kids who have been photographed across the country already in 2024. Flashes of Hope volunteer photographers from 46 chapters have photographed more than 90,000 kids since 2001. The images are emotional, always in black and white, showing glimpses of moments that would have been lost. When you flip through the photos, you get to see it all — strength, laughter, joy and love. Flashes of Hope photographers create something that families cherish forever, putting cancer in the background. 

“I am not the kind of guy who can write big checks to charities that I would like to support. But this is a way I can give back in a meaningful way, a way that is perfect for my talent and strengths as a photographer. It is very gratifying," said Zave. 

To learn more about volunteering for Flashes of Hope, visit here. 
You can support the work of Flashes of Hope, a program of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, by making a donation here.